Sunday, January 31, 2010

Swami Jeevan Sahib

There is a beautiful health resort at the foot of the famous and centrally located hill, Vastervan, known as Ladhu. The hill is known as Veshrivan to the scholars of our ancients chronicles and is said to be a store house of many myths and truths for the people who live in its vicinity, who confirm that they used to get many items of their day to day need like tea, salt, medicine, some ores like iron and even gold from it. The village has remained a seat of learning for Shaivism, Buddhism and Vaishnavism during our glorious past and the broken fragments of the fine stone slabs and the ruins of the ancient monuments scattered over a large area of the village bear a testimony to this fact. The area of these ruins now known as Sankarshan/Samsa:ri' Nag is also known as Gosa:ni' Nag perhaps due to assemblage of the Saints and seers who often visited the place for religious and other discourses. The shrine of the famous shakti_Upasak, his holiness Jeewan Sahib who is said to have erected a platform of 18 feet high to lit the holy fire "Dhuni", has remained a place of pilgrimage of Kashmir since the second half of the eighteenth century. The area is flanked with a cave where the famous Sufi Saint, Nund Rishi worshipped for a long time and the seat of the famous Sufi poet, Wahab Khar stands close to this shrine on the Khrew-shar road.

Young Jeewan Sahib worked as a domestic servant in the house of a Hindu family of Rainawari, who was a Tehsildar by profession. It is said that he lit the kitchen oven early in the morning as a holy fire and used the dried cow dung as an offering to it while reciting "SWAHA". He made his abode the kitchen room and would seldom come out of it. One night the sleep of mistress of the house broke at the midnight due to the smell of smoke coming out of the kitchen room, she got up to see the matter herself as soon as she reached to the kitchen door, she was astonished to see the full room glittering with dazzling light and the cook sitting on it in 'Abhaya Mudrah' the lady got perplexed and informed her husband who also visualised the whole seen and informed his wife, that the man is spiritually positioned very high and we should discard him from preparing our meals, instead we should grace him with respect and reverence. Thus the hidden treasure came to light and people started thronging this place. ( Shree Poshker Nath Koul Poshmot )

The exact date of the saint is not forthcoming in any of the records available with us at present. P.N.K Bamzai in his book "History of Kashmir", (Revised Edition), 1973, confirm his time somewhere close to the second half of the eighteenth century, when Azad khan, the Afghan Governor declared himself as the independent ruler of Kashmir (1784-85). Jeewan sahib led a life of austere meditation and penance at Rainawari the eastern suburb of Srinagar city and thousands of people used to flock to him for solace and listened attentively to his discourses, the burden of which was simple living and high thinking. It was at his instance that a hard hearted tyrant and arrogant man like Azad Khan came under a spell of devotion and love. In 1785 Timur invaded Kashmir with a strong Afghan army and thus ended the period of tyranny let loose by Azad Khan. The Governors from Kabul, or their representatives who ruled over Kashmir after Azad Khan, were not less tyrant, so Jeewan Sahib, left his city dwelling and after a thorough Wandering he reached to the famous village, Ladhu of Vihi Paragana in the lap of the valley of famous hill vasturvana and made his habitant in a stony gap of the hill near the most fascinating spring of fresh water known as DaderNag. It is said that he worshipped here for a considerable period facing towards the holy shrine of mother goddess Jwala Ji, which, it is said, was live on the Jwala parbhat just opposite to the present hermitage of the saint.

It is said that devotion unto him is a source of floodlight and it does not remain concealed. People thronged the hermitage of Jeewan Sahib. The news reached to the governors of Kabul regime. They tried to persuade the hermit to return to the city but of no heed. Finally the rulers ordered a land grant to be kept at the disposal of the shrine so as to look after its day to day requirements. The fame of the Dhuni hermit had reached to all the quarters of the valley. The whole area had once again reassumed its lost glory and fame. The Jeewan langar was opened to every devotee who visited the place. Religious discourses and discussions were held. The land bestowed by the royal seal was managed by the disciples of the Reshi. Everybody was welcome to attain the Reshi cult barely observing two restrictions strictly. One was to remain vegetarian throughout the life and the other was to abstain from the family life. Such dedicated devotees had to maintain complete austerity throughout their life. ( Swami Prem Nath Shastri Jee )

He has reported to have taken his disciples to the holy dip of the Ganga at Haridwar, through the waters of the Dadher Nag. It is said that one of his disciples insisted for the said purpose and Jeewan sahib took a plank of wood in his hand and throwing it into the water of the said Nag. He sat on it wearing his wooden sleepers and asked the disciple to extend his hand while closing his eyes. Lo! The next moment they were at the Haridwar and back after the holy bath. It is said he had meditated in the deep forest of Gosain Gund, Anantnag for a long time where he planted a half burnt and left over pine tree branch of his Dhuni at the time of his departure. The branch sprouted forth and is now a big pine tree of that area known as the Jeewan sa'bin Ya'r. A pint of ashes from his Dhuni worked miracles for the remedy of innumerable ailments.

The fame of Jeewan Sahib spread far and wide during his life time. He was revered by all the Muslims and Hindus alike .The exact date of Nirwan of this Luminary of Kashmir is Shrouded like his date of incarnation but it is said that he was a contemporary of H.Hs. Mirzakak, Shakkar Sahib, Kashkak, Bhagwan Gopi Nath JI and Wahabkhar are reported to be the regular and early visitors of his holy shrine. The Samadhi of this great Luminary who remained a Shakti Upasak all his life is situated in the area covered with lofty chinars. His disciples at his Samadhi known as "sheshyas" besides remaining brahamcharis all their life preserved and upheld the holy fire of his Dhuni.We celebrate his Jayanti on the second day of the bright half of the month Margashirsha and the tithi of his Nirvana on the second day of the dark half of the month of the Phalguna. The devotees hold a big Hawan on his Jayanti and Nirvana.Recently the devotees have initiated renovation of Samadhi and Dhuni Sahib, and needs attention of all concerned to preserve this and bring back its cultural, heritage.  ( Janam Dhin  Birthday )

1 comment:

sanjeev peer said...

Dear Sir,

I am jewan sahib's descendant .

The story written by you is wrong .
swami jewan sahib was born and brought up in Rainawari . His Father name was Pt Raj Kak who was a Jagirdar .
Swami Jewan sahib has never moved out of his house .
For your kind information he was a persian and sanskrit schoLAR